Posts made in November, 2012

Gesta relishes title opportunity under Pacquiao-Marquez IV

Posted by Neil Macasadia on Nov 26, 2012 in Mercito Gesta Articles

By  Ryan Songalia Photo Credit:  Neil Macasadia Source Doc:   http://ringtv.craveonline.com/blog/176107-gesta-relishes-title-opportunity-under-pacquiao-marquez-iv It has been almost six years to the day since Mercito Gesta, all warmed up and ready to go, was given the red light in the dressing room. His swing bout on the undercard of Manny Pacquiao’s third battle with Erik Morales at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas wouldn’t go on. There wouldn’t be enough time, event organizers told Gesta, leaving all of his training and preparation for naught. Now 25, Gesta will get a second chance to fight on a Pacquiao undercard on Dec. 8 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, as his Filipino compatriot faces arch rival Juan Manuel Marquez for a fourth time in a non-title bout. This time, Gesta won’t have to worry about being bumped off at the last minute; his fight will be the televised co-feature as he faces IBF lightweight titleholder Miguel Vazquez in his first world title opportunity. For Gesta, who lived in Pacquiao’s La Palazzo apartment in Los Angeles when he first came to America from Mandaue City, Philippines, the opportunity to be on the sport’s biggest stage is one he’s been waiting his whole life for. “To get here from where I’m from, it’s been a lot of sacrifices, a lot of work,” said Gesta (26-0-1, 14 knockouts), who now lives in San Diego. Gesta will be the first Filipino to fight for a world title on a Pacquiao undercard since Brian Viloria knocked out Eric Ortiz in one round to win the WBC junior flyweight title on the Pacquiao-Hector Velasquez card in 2005 that preceded the second Morales clash. For the past month, Gesta has been training for the first time at high elevation in Big Bear, Calif. Big Bear, which became popular as the headquarter training grounds of Oscar de la Hoya and Shane Mosley in the 1990s, has been frequented by Miguel Cotto and WBA middleweight titleholder Gennady Golovkin in recent months. The air is thin up there at around 7,000 feet above sea level, which Gesta hopes will improve his stamina in what might be his first time going the 12-round distance. There are also fewer distractions in Big Bear than back in San Diego, just his trainer/manager Vincent Parra, his sparring partners and his family, which includes his father Anecito, mother Mercy and older brother Dondon. Gesta’s mother has been helping him by preparing his vegetable juice from a juicing machine, but he hopes to eat some of her home-cooked meals afterwards. “It really helps my peace of mind, and I just feel like I’m at home,” said Gesta of having his family with him. “I don’t have to worry about what’s going on there with them in the Philippines, because I know what’s going on.” Parra, who has trained Gesta for nine fights of which seven have ended in knockout,...